A 2018 study by McKinsey & Company suggested that companies fully embracing AI over the next 5-7 years could see their cash flow double by 2030, while those resisting adoption may suffer declines of around 20% due to competitive pressures. Seven years later, here we are. The race to incorporate AI into existing businesses has been meteoric since the study was published. But what does it mean for the workers?
According to the same study, demand is likely to shift away from repetitive, low-skill jobs toward roles requiring higher digital skills. While wages in the latter category are expected to increase, those in low-skill roles may stagnate or even fall. And it’s exactly what Joe Rogan and Matthew McConaughey discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience. Known primarily as a UFC commentator, Rogan has long used his podcast to tackle issues beyond fighting. The 58-year-old sat down with McConaughey for the second time and reflected on the dangers AI poses—not just to industries, but to youth and society at large.
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Joe Rogan thinks AI takes away jobs that previously seemed safe
With AI’s rapid rise, the Oscar-winning actor expressed concern about the future of work for younger generations. On the podcast, he wondered what kinds of careers would even exist for them in the world of AI and questioned whether college education still holds the same value. “I question the college education now. I question the worth of it,” McConaughey pondered. In his view, universities risk remaining “a knowledge factory that has not adapted to changing times,” unless they evolve to better prepare students for the modern world.
Joe Rogan, who has discussed AI on several occasions, agreed, adding, “I think it’s really unknown territory and I think AI is going to take jobs away that we never thought we were going to lose.” According to him, the main jobs that are at risk are lawyers, programmers, and accountants. “I think lawyers are off. I think they’re in trouble. Coders are gone. Accountants are gone. It’s going to be really fucking weird,” he said during the podcast.” If that happens as Rogan predicts, the shift would be far-reaching. To put things into perspective, combined, all three markets are worth a staggering $925 billion in the US alone.
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According to a report from Statista, the programming market alone is expected to earn revenue of $379.29 billion by 2025. Within that, Enterprise Software, used by organizations, is expected to reach a market capitalization of $159.39 billion. Then there’s the legal market. While the global legal sector is valued at $1 trillion, in the US alone, it generates $400 billion, per Build Legal Tech. Meanwhile, the accounting industry in 2025 has generated revenue of around $145.5 billion in the United States, per Statista.
If AI proves more effective and cost-efficient, industries such as these will have little incentive to retain the human workforce. Furthermore, Rogan argues that another industry has already felt AI’s impact.
UFC commentator is stunned by AI’s role in movies
During their conversation, Joe Rogan brought up AI’s influence in Hollywood. “Have you seen the old Star Wars that they’re doing? They’re remaking Star Wars with AI with old Luke Skywalker,” Rogan told McConaughey. He explained that filmmakers are now producing entirely new scenes featuring a young Luke Skywalker, generated through AI in high definition. “It’s in HD today with AI using Mark Hamill’s voice, so it sounds exactly like him as a young Luke Skywalker. It’s bananas, man.”
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In his opinion, the influence of AI has been pretty much the same on music and literature as well. “There’s a lot of weirdness with music. There’s a lot of weirdness with literature. You’re going to have all sorts of AI,” he added. Still, he remains optimistic, believing that human touch will ultimately prevail. “I assume that a bunch of people at the end of the day are going to get really sick of artificially created things and want something that they know was made by a person.”